Support for Children Affected by the Trauma of Family Separation at Border

June 30, 2018

Decades of clinical and developmental research affirm the positive impact of healthy caregiver-child attachment, as well as the harmful impact of trauma on the developing child. For that reason, CHDI joins organizations across the country in supporting the end of forced separations at our borders and the immediate reunification of affected families. We are also reminded at this time, that each day in the United States, thousands of children suffer from the negative impact of traumatic events including abuse, neglect, and violence. As a nation, we must recommit ourselves to preventing, and when necessary addressing, the harmful effects of trauma. We can do this by preserving and promoting the health and integrity of families, by equipping systems and individuals to understand the harmful effects of trauma on children, and by implementing evidence-based interventions to address children and families impacted by trauma.

Resources from Child Trends and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network have been developed to assist caregivers, providers, and others in addressing the needs of children separated from their parents at the border.